Painter&#39;s apron



J. H. JOHANNES 3,535,709

PAINTER'S APRON oct. 27, 1970 Filed NOV. 5, 1968 J0 Jg. I

INVEN'IUR.

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United States Patent C) 3,535,709 PAINTERS APRON .lohn H. Johannes, Rte. 1, Robinson, Kaus. Filed Nov. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 773,513 Int. Cl. A41d 13/04 U.S. Cl. 2-51 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE means and anti-sloshing bailles disposed in said reservoir,

and means for attaching brushes to the forward side of said panel above said reservoir.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in painting accessories, and has particular reference to a painters apron. l v

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an apron for painters which not only performs the usual function of protecting the painters clothing from wet paint, but also provides means for carrying both the paint and paint brushes in and of itself, so that the painter is not required to carry brushes and paint cans in his hands. These provisions are of course particularly useful to the painter when he must climb and wonk from ladders or the like, at which times his hands should be as free as possible in the interests of both convenience and safety. To this end, the apron includes both a paint reservoir and means for detachablymounting paint brushes thereon.

Another object is the provision of a painters apron of the character described wherein a brush, once used and secured in its mounting means, cannot drain or drip paint onto the users clothing, but only into the reservoir. To this end, the reservoir is disposed along the lower edge of an apron panel adapted to cover the front of the users torso, at the forward side thereof, and the brush mounting means are attached to said panel above said reservoir.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efciency and dependability of operation, and adaptability for use by workmen other than painters.

With these objects in View, as I'well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. l is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of a painters apron' embodying the present invention, v

FIG. 2- is a sectional view taken on line II-II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line III-III of FIG. 2.,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line V -V of FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies to a generally rectangular apron panel adapted to cover the front of the users torso, and comprising a sheet of plastic or other suitable material which is impervious to paint.l Preferably it is of a material which is only semi-pliable, so as to possess at least a degree of structural strength. Along its opposite generally vertical edges, it is provided with a pair of fonwardly turned lips 4 extending from its lower edge at least half-way to the upper edge r6 thereof. The panel is supported by'a neck band `8 having its ends secured respectively to the upper corners of the panel, and

adaptedito pass aboutthe neck of the user, and is secured before his torso by a pair of tie strips 10 each having one end secured to a lower comer of the panel and adapted to be passed around the users body and tied at his back. The neck band and tie strips may be of a suitable material other than that of which the panel is formed, such as fabric.

Extending across the lower edge of panel 2 is a horizontally rectangular, upwardly opening reservoir 12 for liquid-paint. Said reservoir is preferably formed of the same material as panel 2, and may be molded integrally therewith, as shown. Said reservoir includes a rear wall 14 forming a downward extension of panel 2, a front wall 16, end walls 18, and a floor 20. The juncture between said floor and each of said front, rear and end lwalls is smoothly rounded to eliminate corners in which paint could be difficult to reach and remove with a brush. A11 inturned lip 22 is provided around the entire periphery of the reservoir at its upper edge, including the upper edge of rear wall 14 at its juncture with panel 2.

Midway between end walls 1-8, a brush wiper bar 24 extends from front to rear between front wall 16 and rear wall 14, said bar being in the upper portion of the reser- `voir but spaced slightly beneath lip 22. Also extending between said front and rear lwalls, but in the lower portion of the reservoir, are a series of baffle members 26 which are spaced generally equally between end walls 18. Said bafiles are, however, spaced atleast slightly above floor 20. Said wiper bar and baffles may be molded integrally with the reservoir as shown, or permanently attached to the front and rear walls thereof. A stiifening bar 28 consistirlg of a thin strip of spring steel or the like extends vertically behind panel 2 and rear `wall 14 of the reservoir, being carried in a pocket formed between said'panel and wall, at the front, and a strip 30` of plastic or the like secured at its edges to the rearward faces of panel 2 and wall 14. A pair of fonwardly opening spring clips 32 of generally C-form each has its base portion secured to panel 2, adjacent the upper edge thereof, as by a rivet 34 (see FIG. 5). Each clip is adapted to receive and to releasably support the handle 36 of an ordinary paint brush 38.

In use, neck band 8 is looped about the neck of the user, and tie strips 10 tied behind his back to secure the apron in place at the front of his torso. Preferably, the vertical height of the apron is such that oor 2()` of the reservoir is disposed at or above the users hip joints, so as not to interfere with, or be disturbed by, the normal movements of the user in walking, ladder climbing and the like. Thus, with paint in reservoir 12 and brushes held in clips 32, the user is provided with good freedom `of movement for climbing ladders, roofs, scaffolds and the like, leaving his hands free for other purposes, such as grasping the ladder and steadying himself until he gets into final position actually to begin painting. The brushes and also the paint are conveniently reached in almost any position the user may be required to assume. He simply dips the brush i'nto the p aint, the top opening of the reservoir being sufficiently broad to accommodate any common brush, then :wipes excess paint fromI the brush by passing it over wiper bar 24, then applies the paint in the usual manner.

Bales 26 tend to eliminate anysloshing or splashing of the paint from the reservoir which otherwise might result from normal movements of the user. Any desired number of baffles could of course be used although they should be spaced apart sufciently to admit a brush there- Y between. The spacing of the baffles above reservoir floor 20 provides that the` paint Iwill seek a common level over the entire area of the reservoir even when the paint level is below the. tops of the baffles, and so be available to the user from any area of said reservoir. Normally, to further inhibit sloshing or splashingof the paintthe paint level is maintained somewhat below the level of the top edges of the baffles. Any tendency of paint to splash or slosh out of the reservoir is further defeated by lip 22, which deflects paint rising along the vertical walls of the reservoirback into the reservoir.

Wiper bar 24. may be made thicker, and hence more rigid, than panel 2 or the reservoir walls, in order to better withstand the physical pressure of wiping brushes thereagainst. Also, the spacing of said wiper bar below the level of lip 22 prevents paint running along the upper edge of said bar from flowing over the top edge of front wall 16. The reinforcement of the reservoir by wiper bar 24 and baffles 26, together with the merely semi-pliable character of the reservoir walls, impart to the reservoir ample rigidity and structural strength that it will not collapse, and will hold its form, under the weight of the amount of paint intended to be carried therein. Any tendency of the lower edge of the reservoir to be swung rearwardly by the weight of the paint therein, resulting' from the fact that said reservoir is supported only along its upper rear edge, and resultant spillage of paint over the top offront wall 16, is defeated by stiffener bar 28, which |while not objectionably stiffening the apron so far as the comfort of the user is concerned, does effectively prevent folding of the apron along any horizontal line, particular ly at the juncture of panel 2` and rear reservoir wall 14. Any number of stilfener bars 28, distributed across the width of the apron, could of course be used if found necessary or desirable.

Brushes 2S, once used and then reinserted in clips 32, of course tend to drip or drain paint down the forward surface of panel 2, and this paint will flow back into the reservoir by gravity. Paint is prevented from flowing around the generally vertical side edges of panel 2, where it could reach the users clothing, by panel lips 4, and said panel lips merge with lip 22 of the reservoir to further insure that paint draining down the panel will eventually be returned to the reservoir.

While .l have shown and described a specicembodiment of my invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A painters apron comprising:

(a) a generally planar' panel of paint-impervious material adapted to overlie the front ofthe users torso,

(b) means for securing said panel in position,

(c)A an upwardly opening paint reservoir extending the full width of said panel and having its upper rearward edge secured to the lower edge of said panel, and

(d) resilient paint brush retaining means attached to the forward surface of said panel above said reservoir and operable to support a paint brush releasably with its handle uppermost.

2. A painters apron as recited in claim 1 wherein said panel is provided at each of its side edges with a forwardly turned lip.

3. A painters apron as recited in claim 1 wherein said reservoir is provided at its top with an inturned lip extending around the entire periphery thereof, and wherein said panel is provided at each of its side edges with a forwardly turned lip, said panel lips merging at their lower ends with said reservoir lip.

4. A painters apron as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a wiper bar extending between and affixed to the front and rear walls of said reservoir.

5. A painters apron as recited in claim 11 wherein said reservoir is provided at its top with an inturned lip extending around the entire periphery thereof, and with the addition of a wiper bar extending horizontally between and axed at its ends to the front and rear walls of said reservoir, said bar being spaced below the level of said lip.

6. A painters apron as recited in claim 1 with the addition of baffles xed in vsaid reservoir to inhibit splashing or sloshing of paint therein. i

7. A painters apron as recited in claim 6 wherein said baffles are spaced above' the bottom of said reservoir.

8. A painters apron as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a wiper bar extending between and axed to the front and rear walls of said reservoir, and baffles fixed in said reservoir in spaced relation above the bottom of said reservoir.

9. A painters apron as recited in claim i8 wherein said reservoir is formed of a semi-pliable material, and wherein said wiper bar and said bafes extend between and interconnect opposite walls of said reservoir to impart additional structural strength thereto.

`111. A painters apron as recited in claim 1 wherein said panel and said reservoir are formed of semi-pliable material, and with the addition of an elongated, resiliently flexible stifrener member attached to said panel and the rearward wall of said reservoir so as to bridge the juncture therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,790 5/1887 Alley 2-51 889,470 6/1908 Lyons f 2-51 2,066,072 y12/1936 Powell 2-51 2,672,614 3/ 1954 Zimmerman et a1 2-49 2,945,614 7/1960 Wittmann 2-51 X ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

